''Lophocereus schottii'', the senita cactus, is a species of

cactus A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...

from southern

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

and north-western Mexico, particularly

Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

and

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

Description

''Lophocereus schottii'' grows tree-shaped to shrub-like with yellow-green, more or less upright shoots, which often develop into thickets with more than 100 shoots. It reaches heights of 1 to 3 meters and shoot diameters of . A tribe is rarely formed. There are 4 to 13 clearly defined ribs. The 1 to 3 strong, gray central spines are long. The 3 to 5 marginal spines are gray and long. The terminal pseudocephalium consists of bristly, flexible, gray spines. It occasionally grows to be more than long. The funnel-shaped flowers appear laterally from the pseudocephalium and open at night. They are white to deep pink, up to long and reach a diameter of . Its pericarpel and flower tube are covered with scales and hairs. The spherical, red fruits contain red pulp and reach a diameter of . They are edible, but are rarely used as food. File:Pájara La Lajita - Oasis Park - Pachycereus schottii 05 ies.jpg, Top of branch File:Pachycereus schotti monstrosus.jpg, Pachycereus schotti monstrosus File:Pachycereus schottii monstrosa kz1.jpg, Pachycereus schottii f. monstrosa

Distribution

The distribution area of ''Lophocereus schottii'' extends from the south of the US state of

to the northwest of Mexico and includes the states of

and Sonora. The species grows at altitudes from 0 to 800 meters. File:Pachycereus (Lophocereus) schottii (5770743686).jpg, Plants growing in La Paz, Baja California Sur File:Pachycereus schottii (5782780240).jpg, Plant growing in Viscaino, Baja California Sur

Ecology

The senita cactus exhibits mutualism with the senita moth. The senita moth is the only

nocturnal Nocturnality is a ethology, behavior in some non-human animals characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatur ...

pollinator of the cactus, and the moth relies on the cactus as a host for reproduction.

Taxonomy

The first description as Cereus schottii was made in 1856 by George Engelmann. The specific epithet schottii honors the German naturalist and plant collector Arthur Schott, who was involved in surveying the border between the United States and Mexico.

Nathaniel Lord Britton Nathaniel Lord Britton (1859 – 1934) was an American botanist and taxonomist who co-founded the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, New York (state), New York. Early life Britton was born on the 15 of January 1859 at New Dorp, Staten Island ...

and

Joseph Nelson Rose Joseph Nelson Rose (January 11, 1862 – May 4, 1928) was an American botanist. He was born in Union County, Indiana. His father died serving during the Civil War when Joseph Rose was a young boy. He later graduated from high school in Liberty, ...

placed the species in the genus ''Lemaireocereus'' in 1909. Further nomenclature synonyms are ''Pilocereus schottii'' (Engelm.) Lem. (1862) and ''Pachycereus schottii'' (Engelm.) D.R.Hunt (1987).

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from1=Q15320987, from2=Q662904, from3=Q14944239 Echinocereeae Cacti of the United States Cacti of Mexico Plants described in 1856